This invention relates to a method and an apparatus for detaching fiber tufts from serially arranged fiber bales, such as cotton bales, chemical fiber bales and the like. The detaching operation is effected by a bale opener which moves back and forth along the fiber bales and carries a detaching (opening) device proper which has at least one detaching (opening) roll. The detaching device is accommodated in a downwardly open cantilever housing carried by and projecting laterally from the travelling opener tower. The detaching device may be moved vertically relative to the tower.
According to a known method, the cantilever housing, together with the fiber tuft detaching device may be adjusted in a vertical plane to assume a desired inclined angle to the horizontal travelling direction of the tower. By virtue of this arrangement, it is feasible to detach fiber tufts from fiber bales with a single detaching device either in a horizontal plane or in an inclined plane.
It is a disadvantage of the above-outlined known method that the fiber tuft output during the run-in period, that is, during the transition of the fiber bale surface from a horizontal plane to a plane of determined inclination for the continuous operation is significantly less at the beginning of the fiber bale series than at the end thereof. It is a further disadvantage of the known method that the run-in period is excessively long. Similarly, these disadvantages also characterize the run-out phase, that is, during the transition of the top face of the bale series from the inclined orientation for the continuous operation to the horizontal plane (defined by the top face of a residual, lowermost fiber layer of the consumed bales).